This took place 2009 or so, in Sikkim, India. The range is the Sleeping Buddha.
We set the alarm clock at 3-30. As soon as it started ringing, we rushed to the window – and we could see the stars! Everywhere. When we reached near the car we found that there was a leak in a tyre and they were changing it. Time was running out – why should it happen at that time!
Our driver, Shankar, also sensed that we were getting late. So he started driving fast. He was in such a hurry that he forgot to show our papers at the check-post. Lungthung, the view point, was 18 kms away and I kept a constant eye on the milestones. There were numerous turns, the sky started becoming bright – would we be able to make it? Everybody was praying fervently.
There is another view point, Thambi, which was much nearer. Shankar told us that nobody at first was able to establish any road connection in this mountaneous terrain. It was one Mr. Thambi, a soldier in the Indian army, who could first map the region and based on his ideas, the roads were built later on. So he was promoted and rewarded duly. But his seniors didn’t like this and he died of jealousy. The view point was named after him acknowledging his contribution.
We drove past Thambi, Shankar was driving really fast, another bend, another one, and suddenly…. He was there. It took us some time to understand who he was. Then came the realization, as we had never seen him so close, so clear – didn’t even think that it would be like this. The entire range was visible, there was no cloud at all.
At every other place, and in the photos that we had seen, he seemed to be shorter than others – an illusion that can be broken perhaps here only. He was mightily taller than the rest. We could watch his august presence almost everywhere till we reached Lungthung.
And what we saw then was, believe me, absolutely unbelievable. Whatever we had heard and read earlier became true before our eyes. So far the range was fully white. But when the first rays of the sun kissed the peak, it became pink. As the rays started propagating below gradually, it was awash with melting gold. We were literally mesmerized by the Kanchenjunga.
It was so spectacular, so majestic – we were blessed to watch this wonder of the nature. This game of splashing colour went on for quite some time and we were the only ones to watch this heavenly show.
